Friday, September 29, 2006

CANES DEAL JACK JOHNSON / KONOWALCHUK RETIRES

Wow, the Hurricanes have traded the rights to D Jack Johnson and D Oleg Tverdovsky to the Los Angeles Kings for D Tim Gleason and C Eric Belanger. I guess their patience ran out on the young Johnson after he decided to return to the University of Michigan rather than join the Hurricanes, who needed immediate help on their blueline with the injury to Kaberle, and the loss of Aaron Ward to the NYR.Gleason and Belanger are good players, with the latter still being expected to score more at the NHL level. But they will effectively fill the holes left by Kaberle and Stillman in the meantime, and then provide great depth for the Canes when the injured players return.The jury is also out on Tverdovsky. He won't be a go- to defenceman in LA with Rob Blake and Visnovsky there. Johnson is a decent pickup for the Kings as they are definitely not going to rush him.............Avalanche forward Steve Konowalchuk has decided to retire today after extended medical tests have confirmed that he has an abnormal heartbeat. It is a genetic disease called Long QT Syndrome.Konowalchuk is on 33 years old, and has played 13 seasons. This is a blow to the Avs, as Konowalchuk was playing so well when he was healthy.